


Born Again

by paeryn



Category: X-Factor (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-29 22:20:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paeryn/pseuds/paeryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a rough month, a rough week, and a rough day for Teddy Altman, the man known as Captain Marvel and dual ambassador for both the Kree and Skrull empires.  Too much time in space, and not at home with his husband, the Sorcerer Supreme.  So when he finally does clock out and heads home, the last thing he was hoping for was visitors.</p><p>Especially visitors with designs on changing...everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Born Again

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Adult!AU](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/29382) by Cris-Art. 



**I** t’d been a long, grueling day in space. Teddy had been helping Brand rebuild the Peak after the latest incursion. He’d spent the better part of the rest of his day arguing with her and her team over his recent actions on the Kree homeworld. Brand’s brusque demeanor reminded him sometimes of his mother—well, not Anelle, but the woman he always thought of as his mother. His mother’s maid, who had fled to this planet and spent a lifetime raising and protecting him out of nothing but the love in her heart. He still didn’t know her Skrull name, but that honestly didn’t bother him now as it once did. She was always going to be Juliet Altman to him. And like Brand, she always had to have the last word. 

He sighed, as a young couple walking three dogs brushed by him, scurrying off to wherever they called home. The bespectacled young man was so absorbed with whatever was on his cell phone that he almost ran directly into Teddy. Apparently, a spaceman in full armor wasn’t even worthy of a raised eyebrow in the Village these days, let alone a comment. Sometime he wished they’d moved out of the city. Even after all these years he was still worried about being teleported from the Peak right in front by the house. He’d been after Billy for years to move, but even as they got older Billy just couldn’t bring himself to leave the Village. They’d always lived there, ever since their first place after that nightmare with Loki. Even after the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme had passed to him, Billy was insistent that they not move—even more insistent, actually. He kept saying that the job didn’t define who he was, who he was defined the job. And truthfully, having a closet that teleported you directly to the Sanctum Sanctorum had it benefits—and not just the extra room.

As he walked up the brick and sandstone steps of their brownstone, a middle-aged man appeared, his short, brown hair framed a face etched with gentle laugh lines and deep brown eyes. As he approached, Teddy could see the man held the door for a woman still on the landing. Deep in conversation, neither noticed Teddy until he was practically on top of them, his already imposing frame made more so—and slightly ridiculous—by the uniform he was still wearing. His helmet almost scraped the ceiling, for Hala’s sake!

“John? Rahne, is that you?” Teddy asked as he took off his helmet and extended a hand to John, who grasped it firmly.

“Yes, we had some news, and we decided it was best to break it to you both in person.”

“As you know, finding suitable parents to take in mutant children is a difficult matter,” the woman once known as Wolfsbane said, her accent thick. “Mutant births aren’t as common as they were, and complications from the x-gene alone makes deliveries tricky for both the mother and the child…”

“I know that, we both do,” Teddy agreed. “That’s why Billy and I came to you once we heard of the work you two were doing. Organizing an adoption agency for mutant children…it’s a far cry from X-Factor. But in my mind, you’re doing as much good—maybe more, in the long run.”

John Madrox adjusted the collar of his vestments, as uncomfortable with praise as the man who had created him years before would’ve have basked in it. Rahne, however, just nodded as she took the comment in wordlessly.

“Has…has there been a change? “ Teddy worried. “Was there a problem? Is she having second thoughts?”

“Relax, relax,” John chuckled. “There has been a change, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a problem.” 

Rahne laughed more loudly. It was a sound like sunshine. He hadn’t seen the woman in years, long before Billy and he both had assumed the mantles of those that had gone before them. But the smiling, laughing woman before him was a far cry from the tortured wolf-woman he remembered from his teen adventuring days. It was funny, really, how different those early years felt compared to the lives they lead now. How ridiculously unprepared they had been.  


“You look about as nervous as a Skrull in a room full of Kree, Teddy,” Rahne said as she got her laughter under control. “There’s nothing wrong with the baby, or the mother.” 

John shook his head in an effort to wipe off his own grin, “I’m sorry. We’re dragging this out far longer than any bout of good humor could justify.” 

“Dragging _what _out?” Teddy implored, his exasperated voice slightly raised.__

__“We got the call around four this morning,” John continued, “that her water broke. She was in hard labor almost instantly. It was over in just a few hours.”_ _

__“Over?” Gulped Teddy. He dropped the helmet, it’s metallic heft smashing loudly on the sandstone beneath their feet. “So…”_ _

__“You’re not listening!” Rahne scolded, bringing her finger within an inch of Teddy’s nose. “I told you there was nothing wrong with either of them. If this is how you listen, Theodore Rufus Altman, having a child is going to be a real  
struggle.”_ _

__Then…He could breathe. He did breathe. He was shaking._ _

__The woman brought her hand down and smoothed her shirt with it, as she added, “Around 6:37 this morning, your baby girl came into the world as healthy as she could be and wailing like a banshee.”_ _

__Teddy sagged with relief, his shoulders slumped as the small of his back rested against the wall behind him. He crouched down to retrieve the helmet, still yet unwilling to look either of his guests in the eye. “And her mom?”_ _

__“Doing just fine. No complications. They’ll probably let her come home later tonight.”_ _

__The newfound father’s eyes suddenly spread wide, “Wait, like a banshee? Was anyone hurt?”_ _

__“Teddy, Teddy,” Rahne tsked loudly, “It’s just a euphemism. She was crying, screaming, like most babies do. She was loud. There was no manifestations of mutant ability right of the womb. There almost never is. You know that, we’ve talked about it. Chances are, it’ll be years before any latent mutant ability will manifest itself.”_ _

__“I know, I just…Was it like this for either of you?”_ _

__“Like what?” Rahne asked, guardedly_ _

__“As if every single cell in your body is going to explode! “ Teddy’s voice rose as he continued on, his emotions getting the better of him. “I have a thousand questions, and there’s a million things to do, and I don’t know whether I’m more happy or terrified or already overwhelmed, or—”_ _

__“Well, you’re certainly overdressed,” quipped the priest. “After that, just breathe. Take one moment at a time.”_ _

__“When can we see her? I’ll need to change, and make sure Billy is home, and…”Teddy trailed off as John stopped him from charging up the stairs like a rhino with the gentle placement of his hand on Teddy’s chest._ _

__“She’s here, Ted. That’s why we came over,” John gently said, his other arm gently rising to squeeze the bulwark of Teddy’s shoulder through his armor. “We brought her over as soon as we could. Believe me, this means almost as much to us as it does to the both of you. She’s upstairs with Billy now.”_ _

__The worry on his face was replaced almost instantaneously with a wide smile betraying the exuberance that has been one of his hallmarks for as long as anyone can remember. As he raced up the stairs, he saw the pictures they’d hung of the family, his mom, Billy’s parents, the twins. But then, nothing really matters after that because he is opening the door, and across the room Billy is holding an impossibly small, writhing bundle of blankets that had to be their child. Teddy almost forgot to take his helmet off._ _

__He turned and went back to the door, opened it, and found the two angels that had made this day happen still waiting at the landing below._ _

__“Do you want to come up? If it wasn’t for you, none of this, she wouldn’t have happened.”_ _

__“This is a moment for the two of you,” Rahne smiled wanly._ _

__“We’ll wait down here for a few, then we’ll need to take her back to the hospital,” John added._ _

__“Ok, alright” Teddy turned, leaving the door open and crossing the floor until he stood next to the pale, dark-haired man that had been with him through everything, through the days they’d scrambled just to survive, through the griefs of their shared vocation and the joy of sharing the wonder of this world together. They’d found each other so young, and despite time and almost constant testing, they had only grown closer as the years had past. Few were that lucky, and now this._ _

__A second chance, in a lifetime of second chances._ _

__“Teddy, come meet your daughter” Billy said, his voice soft with too much emotion. Teddy pressed in close, kissing Billy on his forehead as he armor retracted from his hands, pressing one of them against Billy’s back. He could feel Billy’s heart beating as fast as his own as he looked down in wonder at the radiant blue eyes peering out of the nest of blankets. Her small chubby fingers pushed through the folds, reaching out towards the blonde man. Extending his hand towards her, the baby grasped ahold of his ring finger with her entire hand, squeezing tightly as her eyes drooped closed._ _

__Both of their smiles wobbled as Teddy spoke her name, determined to not let little the little one see them cry their first time together with her._ _

__“Well, hello there, Cassandra Juliet Altman-Kaplan.”_ _

__They failed._ _


End file.
